TNAG-1325-FCO40-1737-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-debates-1984 — Page 83

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LORD PRIVY SEAL

RE

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK048/31

STRY

10 OCT 1984

MISTRY

Taken

FED GRISWO News Dept

Parliamentary Unit

Hong Kong Dept 12 Parts

& PS

си

งา

was reew.

PS Lady Young Mr Powell PS/ Mr Luce PS/Mr. Renton PS/PUS Sir. P. Cradock Sir W. Harding Sir J. Freeland mr. Houston

Future of Hong Kong: Timing of House of Commons Debate

Cutro

1. As you will know from my Private Secretary's letter of

20 September, I hope to make a statement to the House of the

draft agreement on the future of Hong Kong when Parliament

resumes. Much has happened while the House has been in

recess, and I expect you will agree that it is right that I

should bring MPs up-to-date. In the statement I would need

to

to be able, if the point was raised (as is quite likely),

indicate the approximate date of the full debate which the

House will hold on the agreement. This would help reduce pressure which might otherwise be brought to bear for an earlier discussion of Hong Kong. We need in any case to take

a decision on the approximate date fairly soon, in order to

allow planning of the publication of the reports on opinion in

Hong Kong and of the arrangements for signature of the agreement.

2. The period of time in which the debate can take place is a

short one. It must be before the House rises for the Christmas

recess in order to allow time for signature of the agreement before the end of the year. We have undertaken to the Chinese

to meet that timetable. I should not like to leave the debate

too late in case it should fall victim to other essential items

of Parliamentary business. On balance I think any date later

than the week beginning 3 December would be too late. On the

other hand the debate cannot be earlier than this because of

the need first to publish the report of the assessment unit in

Hong Kong on local opinion on the agreement and the report of

the monitors whom I have appointed to observe the work of the

assessment unit. For practical reasons, these reports cannot

be published until the latter part of the week beginning

26 November.

CONFIDENTIAL

/3.